Wishing you had a double sink? Pick up a big ole canning pot at the thrift store and set it beside your sink. You can use it to set dishes to soak, to thaw a turkey in cold water, or as a backup dish drainer after the DW is too full for those last holiday dishes.

Need an extra drainer? Lay out a handful of chopsticks in a rimmed cookie sheet. You will be able to stand glassware, cups, and bowls on the chopsticks to keep them off the wet cookie sheet as all the water runs off.

Need another extra drainer? Use the empty, just-washed/bleached produce bin (and its lid) to hold handwashed pots and pans. These can be set on the (cool) stovetop; when the dishes are dry, you will find that the water that ran off the bins onto the stove has softened any cooked-on goo.

Need to quick-cool a hot item before putting in the fridge? Set it as near (or on) the exhaust fan to draw off the heat.

Need to quick-thaw frozen beef? Turn a cast iron pan upside down under a lamp, and unwrap the meat as much as possible. Set it directly on the cast iron. Cover it with a metal of glass pot lid or a glass bowl. The heat from the lamp will warm the iron enough to thaw a 1" steak in about 30 minutes. Turn the meat over as needed. (Leave the center of the steak frozen if you like 'em rare.)

~S~